Fiji’s Animal Farm Continues Letter to the Editor 20 March 2015Dear Sir,The Minister for Immigration and Defense (Colonel Timoci Natuva) has “explained” the Fiji Government’s ban of Professor Brij Lal and Dr Padma Lal on the grounds that Brij Lal “has been very vocal and opposed the move towards democracy after the events of 2006” and that “his actions were viewed by the Government of the day as prejudicial to the peace, defence, public safety, public order, security of the Government of Fiji.” (Fiji Times, 19 March 2015). Minister Natuva’s response suggests that not only does he not have to worry about over-taxing his brain cells, but that Fiji’s Animal Farm is alive and well under the elected government of Bainimarama and Khaiyum. (a) Given that Brij Lal opposed the illegal removal of a lawful democratically elected government of Qarase, only in Animal Farm can Minister Natuva claim this was “opposing the move towards democracy”. (b) Only in Animal Farm can Minister Natuva “forget” that his “Government of the Day” was the illegal treasonous government of Voreqe Bainimarama who had to write into the 2013 Constitution, complete immunity for unspecified actions for himself and his collaborators, between 2000 and September 2014? (c) only in Animal Farm can a peaceful law-abiding pen-wielding Australian academic, a former Fiji citizen and recipient of Fiji’s highest Honors, be considered by Minister Natuva (on the orders of Bainimarama and Khaiyum) to be “prejudicial to the peace defence, public safety, public order, security of the Government of Fiji”, which is backed by the might of only 3000 fierce Fijian soldiers and 3000 policemen. Heaven forbid, is brave soldier Natuva admitting that “one pen is mightier than the sword”? (d) Only in Animal Farm, can Minister Natuva give no justification whatsoever (and not be asked by the media either) for banning Dr Padma Lal, an environmental economist and an expert on the sugar industry who has not been politically vocal at all, whose only “crime” is that she is married to Brij Lal, and perhaps the double misfortune of being my sister. (e) Only in Animal Farm will great “women’s champions” like Madam Nazhat Shameem and Minister Rosy Akbar remain conveniently silent about the denial of the basic human rights of Dr Padma Lal to enter Fiji, because of her “crime” of being the wife of Dr Brij Lal. (f) Only in Animal Farm will Indo-Fijian civil society organizations (the Arya Samaj, the Sanatan Dharam, the Sangam, the Gujarat Society) and the great girmitiya descendants and supporters of the Bainimarama Government (like Satendra Nandan, Subramani, Rajesh Chandra, Ganesh Chand, Mahendra Reddy, Vijay Naidu, Rajendra Prasad, Thakur Ranjit Singh,etc.) keep totally quiet about the banning of one of the most peaceful and valued girmitiya “sons of Fiji” who has contributed his entire academic life to the written history of the Indo-Fijians (Dr Brij Lal) and the banning of their former USP academic colleague, luminary and Gold Medalist, Dr Padma Lal. (g) Only in Animal Farm can an “elected government” ban decent law-abiding people like Brij and Padma Lal, while welcoming and rewarding foreigners who came to support the violent 2006 treason and the illegal Bainimarama Government, like John Samy, Shaista Shameem, John Prasad, Francis Narayan, Robin Nair, Peter Thompson, Sharon Smith-Johns, Graham Davis, etc. Given Minister Natuva’s statement, a few members of the Fiji public might lose some sleep trying to identify which animals in George Orwell’s Animal Farm might accurately represent Natuva, Bainimarama and Khaiyum. But the majority of Fiji citizens can always help themselves go to sleep by counting their own numbers (no prizes for guessing which animals they represent in Animal Farm). Professor Wadan Narsey

Only in animal farm can the Indian puppet MPs in FF dictorship sit like mice in Parliament and agree to the banning of Dr. Brij and Dr. Padma Lal and do nothing about it. Where is the true leader of Indians who campaigned that he orchestrated the coup the save Indians. Is this his way of saving Indians.

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Chun Mun

21/3/2015 01:59:45 pm

Brij and Padma are Australians by exercising their personal choice.

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Chiku

21/3/2015 06:20:08 am

You know a country has gone to the dogs when peaceful, non violent, thinking people like Professor Brij Lal and his wife Padma Lal are persecuted by the State for voicing their opinion on what they think is in the best interest of the country of their birth. Is that a crime in the " new" and " better" Fiji and " true democracy" that Frank Bainimarama and Aiyaz Khaiyum have designed?

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So

21/3/2015 06:27:47 am

Professor warden Narsey's letter to editor will not be given space in Fiji's yellow news media. It's good we have Fijileaks and other Fiji blog sites where the Fiji State's stinking decision to ban Brig Lal and Padma Lal can be questioned and challenged.

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And

21/3/2015 07:32:22 am

One name Professor Narsey forgot to mention in his list of supporters of Bainimarama is that of Dr Sushil K Sharma. Dr Sharma must feel very offended because he is such a sycophantic supporter of Bainimarama .

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Gagaj

21/3/2015 09:01:56 am

Just wondering why there hasn't been an influx of Fiji citizens past and present flocking back into the country post election? For all the reasons given by Fiji First Party leading to elections and showcasing it's popular Fiji for all Fijians etc. this banning of Dr Brij Lala and wife is a clear message that the 'welcome to Fiji' is based on clear guidelines; either you're with Fiji First or you're banned as undesirables. What of that sitting MP on a drink-drive killing of a pedestrian - is he on the deisrable category listing, hence no court case to date? What of those government employees identfied as having abused their powers and helped hemselves to the public coffers in the last 8yrs and not yet brought to trial - another group of desirables?? those shoddy businesses and Indo-businessmen who have propped up the regime, your silence on the banning of Dr Brij Lal and wife is deafening indeed; you're all just a crook(ed) bunch. I am also realistic about what surrounds me and will declare that Naivalurua for China is a good choice and so is Yogesh Punja for Canberra. Many years back the career diplomat lost its natural footing and many outside the civil service were appointed instead; from military personnel to retirees from other fields. Anyway, this is not the first Yogesh to be appointed because the other serves as our diplomat in India and not a whisper or murmur when he was chosen. Back to base - this banning of Dr Brij Lal and wife only confirms the true status of our leaderships in Govt. because the Opposition remained silent also; even if outvoted in all forums!!!

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Billy

21/3/2015 09:47:12 am

Where, may we ask, are the fearless Fijian leaders?

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And

21/3/2015 10:25:41 am

Can anyone be trusted with power? - Shakespeare , The Tempest.
Not Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum and not Frank Bainimarama and not their lieutenants like Minister Timoci Natuva. They have given prove that they are blatant abusers of power. The Lal case is one more among the many others of Abuse of Power by these political scoundrels.

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Chun Mun

21/3/2015 02:03:57 pm

Wadan labels everyone from John Samy to Francis Narayan as foreigners but ignores the fact that his sister and brother in law, Padma and Brij are Australian citizens,

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Dekho

21/3/2015 06:28:06 pm

When has Warden done that? One thing is certain John Sami and Francis Narayan to name the two you named can without dispute be labelled as Bainimarama dictatorship cronies. Padma and Brij Lal were never that. They like Warden stood up for democracy. Chunni what did you stand for?

"while welcoming and rewarding foreigners who came to support the violent 2006 treason and the illegal Bainimarama Government, like John Samy, Shaista Shameem, John Prasad, Francis Narayan.."

I stand for a Fiji which is all inclusive, there is a place for everyone.

Tum khali selective cheez dekho !!

Rp

22/3/2015 03:50:18 am

Chun Mun, or Dhun Mun......you forget the punch line. The punch line is banning of a peaceful pen wielding, Fijian of Indian descent, who has made more contribution to Fiji, than the animal farm crew. You will have no clue. looking at your writings, you are indeed very selective, about your understanding of true democracy, human rights, transparency, OR are you totally against these basic tenets of human existence.

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Respects...

22/3/2015 01:24:15 pm

Respects and greetings to Professor Brij Lal and his wife Padma Lal. Fiji will always be proud of you two.

Vinaka!

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Welcome Home

23/3/2015 12:33:54 pm

Banning of persons from their birthplace amounts to cruel, inhuman conduct by any estimation. To separate people from their family ties, property and family graves - yes, graves - is outrageous and intolerable in a civilised society. When their contributions to the evolution of freedom and respect for all civilians based upon shared humanity is considered it is clearly a March of Folly. We need all the intelligent and moderate thinkers we may have. What spin is to be deduced from this? We are to be barred from tending the graves of our dead from afar? Heaven forfend!

Banning anyone is in humane and FFP so hippocritical in telling the UN that they uphold Human Rights.As a Taukei I bow my head in shame and feel bad that Prof.Brij Lal and Dr.Padma Lal have been ban to enter their country of birth,Fiji.For telling the TRUTH and nothing else but the TRUTH!!!.So now we can see how shallow they are in saying we are all Fijians by Birth.Is it really and does that mean we are all to appear in the Sacred Text,the Vola NI Kawabula and be given the the right to own land rather than be given a lease.Be Aware Indo-Fijians yo have all been hoodwinked by Bainimarama and Khaiyum and all they interested in is your Paisa.As for the learned couple,Brij and Padma Lal our lost is Australia's gain.Sorry to say we have academically journeyed backward.Timoci Natuva you are a baboon so bad in your management as something you learnt from the Gt.Wall of China.

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"...Secrecy is the keystone of all tyranny. Not force, but secrecy... censorship. When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, 'This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know,' the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives." --Robert A. Heinlein, -If This Goes On